Research on the classification of CT images of COVID-19 by pre-training model based on self-attention mechanism

Nowadays, with the outbreak of COVID-19, the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 has gradually become the focus of social disease prevention, and most patients are also more concerned about the symptoms. COVID-19 has symptoms similar to the common cold, and it cannot be diagnosed based on the symptoms shown by the patient, so it is necessary to observe medical images of the lungs to finally determine whether they are COVID-19 positive. As the number of patients with symptoms similar to pneumonia increases, more and more medical images of the lungs need to be generated. At the same time, the number of physicians at this stage is far from meeting the needs of patients, resulting in patients unable to detect and understand their own conditions in time. In this regard, we have performed image augmentation, data cleaning, and designed a deep learning classification network based on the data set of COVID-19 lung medical images. accurate classification judgment. The network can achieve 95.76% classification accuracy for this task through a new fine-tuning method and hyperparameter tuning we designed, which has higher accuracy and less training time than the classic convolutional neural network model. © 2023 SPIE.

COVID-19 pandemic and comfort food consumption based on gender in a Brazilian sample: which variables are related to this behavior?

PurposeThis study aims to identify comfort food (CF) consumption and its associated factors during the pandemic period. The study also involves an online survey conducted five months after the quarantine started in Brazil. Design/methodology/approachData on lifestyle, eating habits and anthropometric data were collected before and during the pandemic, and the differences in these habits were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed to identify predictors of CF consumption by gender. FindingsA total of 1,363 individuals were included in the sample, with a median age of 31 years old, of whom 80.3% were women. Since individuals were free to respond about the food consumed without predetermined categories, it was possible to carry out a faithful assessment of the occurrence of this behavior. At the same time, allowing the subjectivity and symbolism inherent to the concept of CF to be embraced. CF consumption was present for 54%, with "sweets" being the most mentioned group by both genders. The factors associated with CF consumption in women during the pandemic were increased snacking, increased bread, candies and alcoholic beverage intake, increased time spent at work, worsened sleep quality, reduced meals, perceived stress (PS), emotional eating (EE), age and increased frequency of meat intake. In men, the predictors for CF consumption were remote full-time work/study, PS, EE and early waking time. For both genders, CF consumption during the pandemic period was associated with PS and EE. Originality/valueThis study provides an important overview of the possible contributions of the pandemic on behaviors and food choices related to the consumption of CF in Brazilians. This information is valuable to support further studies to investigate and treat the impacts of the pandemic on lifestyle, eating habits and behavior, mental health and other factors in the postpandemic period.

COVID-19 through the lens of mental health in India: Present status and future directions

This book provides an in-depth understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of people and communities in India. Focusing on the current discourse on Mental Health literacy in India, the book also analyses COVID-19-specific health beliefs and their convergences and divergences with COVID-19 protocols and advisories. It discusses the impact of the pandemic on survivors of COVID-19 including their quality of life, psychological well-being, and coping mechanisms while tackling loneliness, loss, and grief. It explores the psychological and social challenges which children have faced during the pandemic and offers techniques to address and adequately manage Mental Health challenges. Grounded in theoretical and empirical research, this book will be of interest to students, teachers, and researchers of psychology, social psychology, Mental Health and wellness studies, and sociology. It will also be useful for academicians, social workers, healthcare workers, and psychologists. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING AS STRATEGIC CRISIS RESPONSE MECHANISM: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH

Most companies have been severely affected by various business risks due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Their limited resources during this adverse period have forced them to be more concerned with their companies' survival than making sustainability initiatives that incur extra costs. Consequently, companies have faced a challenge in reporting imposed-sustainability statements. According to Wenzel et al. (2020) and Zharfpeykan and Ng (2021), companies can innovatively improvise the regular sustainability reporting to become a strategic tool to portray to stakeholders how companies respond to and address sustainable matters during a crisis period. Thus, this paper presents the concept of sustainability reporting as a strategic crisis response mechanism and proposes a model and matrix that maps the stakeholder engagement disclosure strategy with quality disclosure. Moreover, the paper discusses how this reporting can be influenced by internal governance mechanisms. The paper further suggests the moderating role of enterprise risk management (ERM) in this relationship. This concept can potentially guide managerial decisions on ideal sustainability practices that may not impair companies' capacity to survive during future crises. It may act as an effective instrument in meeting stakeholders' expectations of companies to perform their roles as good corporate citizens during a crisis. © 2023 The Authors.

Authentic leadership and employees' job performance: mediation effect of positive employee health

In light of global competition and the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations are encountering an increasingly challenging and unpredictable environment. Consequently, employees are experiencing heightened levels of job strain. This study aims to explore the impact of various organizational mechanisms on promoting positive employee health within the organization, ultimately affecting employees' job performance. The findings of this study indicate that authentic leadership and the absence of organizational politics are significant predictors of positive employee health. Moreover, positive employee health has a positive influence on supervisor-rated job performance through its effect on job engagement. This study serves as a valuable resource for organizations, shedding light on the fundamental factors that contribute to positive employee health. It also raises managers' awareness of the importance of nurturing and sustaining employees' emotional and physical well-being to maintain competitiveness in the market. © 2023 Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Close the deal: Mechanisms for the payment of the purchase price in share purchase and sale agreements

The past events that have shaped our world, such as the COVID-19 Pandemic and the different political outcomes, entailed a scenario of major economic uncertainty in the global market that remains, particularly, in our country. Admittedly, mergers and acquisitions of companies (M&A) in Peru have also been heavily affected. However, it is the market agents' duty to find new strategies to mitigate the economic uncertainty by generating incentives through legal and financial security to the foreign and national investors. Consequently, in this article, the authors have identified the pricing mechanism, employed in Shares Purchase Agreements, as a key element in the recovery and boosting of M&A deals in the Peruvian market driven by uncertainty. Thus, the authors present the pricing mechanisms that have been traditionally used in Shares Purchase Agreements but also introduce the new trends in global pricing mechanisms that have come to stay and fit. © 2022, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of Spanish citizens about disinformation in times of COVID-19: effects and mechanisms to fight against false news

Disinformation has become one of the main problems for society and democracy. Despite the increase in research on this topic, citizen perception of the effects caused by fake news and how to combat it is yet an ongoing issue. Our objective is to analyze these two aspects in the context of COVID-19 in Spain. Also, we seek to identify the sociodemographic and political factors that determine them. We employed a quantitative survey run through an online panel (n=682). The results indicate that disinformation generates, as the primary effect, an increase in mistrust towards the media and politicians among Spanish citizens. Likewise, the incidence of disinformation in the change of opinion and the decision to vote has dropped. Concerning Coronavirus, falsehoods had a low impact on vaccination, although they promoted conspiracy theories among citizens. Men, young people and far-right sympathizers perceive the consequences of deception more intensely. Finally, the work of fact-checking agencies and legislation are the mechanisms to combat disinformation that citizens consider most reliable. These results have important implications for public institutions and journalism. © 2023 Scientific Association Icono14. All rights reserved.

Pharmacological properties and derivatives of saikosaponins-a review of recent studies.

OBJECTIVES: Saikosaponins (SSs) constitute a class of medicinal monomers characterised by a triterpene tricyclic structure. Despite their potential therapeutic effects for various pathological conditions, the underlying mechanisms of their actions have not been systematically analysed. Here, we mainly review the important anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiviral mechanisms underlying SS actions. METHODS: Information from multiple scientific databases, such as PubMed, the Web of Science, and Google Scholar, was collected between 2018 and 2023. The search term used was saikosaponin. KEY FINDINGS: Numerous studies have shown that Saikosaponin A exerts anti-inflammatory effects by modulating cytokine and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lipid metabolism. Moreover, saikosaponin D exerts antitumor effects by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis and autophagy, and the antiviral mechanisms of SSs, especially against SARS-CoV-2, have been partially revealed. Interestingly, an increasing body of experimental evidence suggests that SSs show the potential for use as anti-addiction, anxiolytic, and antidepressant treatments, and therefore, the related molecular mechanisms warrant further study. CONCLUSIONS: An increasing amount of data have indicated diverse SS pharmacological properties, indicating crucial clues for future studies and the production of novel saikosaponin-based anti-inflammatory, efficacious anticancer, and anti-novel-coronavirus agents with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity.

An online survey on clinical characteristics of otologic symptoms linked to COVID-19 infection.

Objective: To report the otologic symptoms that present in patients with COVID-19 infection and investigate the pathogenic characteristics during the period of the pandemic. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included participants with COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 infection was verified in these patients by nucleic acid test or antigen test. An online questionnaire was developed to analyze the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the characteristics of otologic symptoms. Results: This study included 2,247 participants, of which nearly half had one or more otologic symptoms. The presents of otologic symptoms were associated with gender (OR = 1.575, p < 0.0001), age (OR = 0.972, p < 0.0001), and occupation (healthcare worker: p < 0.0001; personnel of enterprises or institutions: OR = 1.792, p < 0.0001; student: OR = 0.712, p < 0.044). The otologic symptoms following COVID-19 infection in order were vertigo (25.95%), tinnitus (19.05%), otalgia (19.00%), aural fullness (17.18%), hearing loss (11.62%), otorrhea (1.25%), and facial paralysis (0.27%). Conclusion: The present study shows that otologic symptoms are common among the COVID-19 infected participants and that these symptoms mostly recover spontaneously. During the corona-virus pandemic, the involvement of the cochleovestibular system and facial nerve should not be overlooked while treating the COVID-19 infected individuals.

Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-induced Encephalopathy and Encephalitis in COVID-19 Cases.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus caused an unprecedented pandemic around the globe, infecting 36.5 million people and causing the death of over 1 million in the United States of America alone. COVID-19 patients demonstrated respiratory symptoms, cardiovascular complications, and neurologic symptoms, which in most severe cases included encephalopathy and encephalitis. Hypoxia and the uncontrolled proliferation of cytokines are commonly recognized to cause encephalopathy, while the retrograde trans-synaptic spread of the virus is thought to cause encephalitis in SARS-CoV-2-induced pathogenesis. Although recent research revealed some mechanisms explaining the development of neurologic symptoms, it still remains unclear whether interactions between these mechanisms exist. This review focuses on the discussion and analysis of previously reported hypotheses of SARS-CoV-2-induced encephalopathy and encephalitis and looks into possible overlaps between the pathogenesis of both neurological outcomes of the disease. Promising therapeutic approaches to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2-induced neurological complications are also covered. More studies are needed to further investigate the dominant mechanism of pathogenesis for developing more effective preventative measures in COVID-19 cases with the neurologic presentation.

Gastrointestinal, liver, pancreas, oral and psychological long-term symptoms of COVID-19 after recovery; A review.

Due to the importance of control and prevention of COVID-19-correlated long-term symptoms, the present review article has summarized what has been currently known regarding the molecular and cellular mechanisms linking COVID-19 to important long-term complications including psychological complications, liver and gastrointestinal manifestations, oral signs as well as even diabetes. COVID-19 can directly affect the body cells through their Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 [ACE-2] to induce inflammatory responses and cytokine storm. The cytokines cause the release of reactive oxygen species [ROS] and subsequently initiate and promote cell injuries. Another way, COVID-19-associated dysbiosis may be involved in GI pathogenesis. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 reduces butyrate-secreting bacteria and leads to the induction of hyperinflammation. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress induces de novo lipogenesis in hepatocytes, which leads to hepatic steatosis and inhibits autophagy via increasing mTOR. In pancreas tissue, the virus damages beta-cells and impairs insulin secretion. SARS-COV-2 may change the ACE2 activity by modifying ANGII levels in taste buds which leads to gustatory dysfunction. SARS-CoV-2 infection and its resulting stress can lead to severe inflammation that can subsequently alter neurotransmitter signals. This, in turn, negatively affects the structure of neurons and leads to mood and anxiety disorders. In conclusion, all the pathways mentioned earlier can play a crucial role in the disease's pathogenesis and related comorbidities. However, more studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanism of the pathogenesis of the new coming virus.

COVID-19 and Alzheimer's Disease: Neuroinflammation, Oxidative Stress, Ferroptosis, and Mechanisms Involved.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by marked cognitive decline, memory loss, and spatio-temporal troubles and, in severe cases, lack of recognition of family members. Neurological symptoms, cognitive disturbances, and the inflammatory frame due to COVID-19, together with long-term effects, have fueled renewed interest in AD based on similar damage. COVID-19 also caused the acceleration of AD symptom onset. In this regard, the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 were reported to be increased in patients with AD due to multiple pathological changes such as excessive expression of the viral receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, or drug-drug interactions in patients receiving polypharmacy and the high presence of proinflammatory molecules. Furthermore, the release of cytokines, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis in both diseases showed common underlying mechanisms, which together worsen the clinical picture and prognosis of these patients.

COVID-19 and Acute Cardiac Injury: Clinical Manifestations, Biomarkers, Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review aims to comprehensively explore the clinical characteristics of COVID-19-related cardiac injury and examine the potential mechanisms underlying cardiac injury in patients affected by COVID-19. RECENT FINDINGS: The COVID-19 pandemic has primarily been associated with severe respiratory symptoms. However, emerging evidence has indicated that a significant number of COVID-19 patients also experience myocardial injury, leading to conditions such as acute myocarditis, heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, and arrhythmias. The incidence of myocardial injury is notably higher in patients with preexisting cardiovascular diseases. Myocardial injury often manifests with elevated levels of inflammation biomarkers, as well as abnormalities observed on electrocardiograms and echocardiograms. COVID-19 infection has been found to be associated with myocardial injury, which can be attributed to several pathophysiological mechanisms. These mechanisms include injury caused by hypoxia, resulting from respiratory compromise, a systemic inflammatory response triggered by the infection, and direct attack on the myocardium by the virus itself. Furthermore, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor plays a crucial role in this process. Early recognition, prompt diagnosis, and a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms are essential for effectively managing and reducing the mortality associated with myocardial injury in COVID-19 patients.

Antimicrobial Peptides: Challenging Journey to the Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Cosmeceutical Use.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or host defence peptides, are short proteins in various life forms. Here we discuss AMPs, which may become a promising substitute or adjuvant in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmeceutical uses. Their pharmacological potential has been investigated intensively, especially as antibacterial and antifungal drugs and as promising antiviral and anticancer agents. AMPs exhibit many properties, and some of these have attracted the attention of the cosmetic industry. AMPs are being developed as novel antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens and as potential treatments for various diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disorders, and viral infections. In biomedicine, AMPs are being developed as wound-healing agents because they promote cell growth and tissue repair. The immunomodulatory effects of AMPs could be helpful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In the cosmeceutical industry, AMPs are being investigated as potential ingredients in skincare products due to their antioxidant properties (anti-ageing effects) and antibacterial activity, which allows the killing of bacteria that contribute to acne and other skin conditions. The promising benefits of AMPs make them a thrilling area of research, and studies are underway to overcome obstacles and fully harness their therapeutic potential. This review presents the structure, mechanisms of action, possible applications, production methods, and market for AMPs.

Hourly based methods to assess carbon footprint flexibility and primary energy use in decarbonized buildings

Constant emission factors to assess the carbon footprint of buildings energy use, as usually included in national Building Technical Codes, show their limitations since the electrical grid mix changes constantly. For this reason, hourly-based methods using time-varying penalty signals to calculate carbon emissions and primary energy use in buildings constitute more effective assessment methods, especially with the aim to activate energy flexibility in buildings based on those inputs. Such signals have been developed and tested in the present work. The robustness and effectiveness of the methods is tested throughout two study cases. The first case compares the impact of using hourly signals over constant factors from the standards. For that purpose, a measured aggregated consumption profile corresponding to 226 real households is analyzed. In the second study case, demand response is implemented through control strategies reacting to the hourly penalty signals, aiming to decrease the emissions, primary energy use and cost. Results for the first case reveal that hourly rates better capture the variability of the electric grid compared to constant yearly factors from national standards, with a 50% difference in carbon emissions and a 20% overestimation with primary energy. Results from the second study case show how the implemented modulation strategies offer benefits in the flexible scenarios compared to the base scenarios, in terms of accumulated emissions or primary energy. Improvements are especially perceived when splitting data seasonally and considering periods with higher demand. Furthermore, this study provides insights for developing energy flexibility inputs when assessing the building performance during critical events such as the COVID19 pandemic or extreme weather conditions, where hourly and seasonal variation might have greater impact. Demand response mechanisms as energy flexibility strategies studied through this work might help in the reduction of total emissions and primary energy. Depending if the goal is to shift the demand due to environmental or economical reasons, different modulation strategies can be implemented to reach greater benefits.

Working Only for the Weekend? How Workplace Social Connections Impact Workers' Sense of Mattering and Mental Health

The growing field of mattering has established that a sense that we matter is crucial to well-being and that it is informed by interactions with close others. However, few studies investigate how mattering may be shaped by our work relationships. Since many adults spend much of their time performing paid work, addressing this research gap may provide insights for enhancing employee well-being. This study uses data from the 2021 Baylor Religion Survey, collected during the early months of 2021, and a sample of employed U.S. adults (n = 564) to test how a worker's perceived respect from their employer and their closeness to coworkers relate to their general sense of mattering, as well as whether mattering may act as a mediator between work relationships and psychological distress (assessed as symptoms of depression and anxiety). Results indicate that feeling highly respected by one's employer and one's perceived closeness to coworkers are positively linked with mattering among workers. Additional analyses also imply that mattering mediates a portion of the relationship between workplace relations and psychological distress. In total, this study suggests that further research into work relationships and mattering is warranted, especially since both factors seem tied to workers' mental health.

The inhibitory and inactivating effects of visible light on SARS-CoV-2: A narrative update.

Prior to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, the germicidal effects of visible light (λ = 400 - 700 nm) were well known. This review provides an overview of new findings that suggest there are direct inactivating effects of visible light - particularly blue wavelengths (λ = 400 - 500 nm) - on exposed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virions, and inhibitory effects on viral replication in infected cells. These findings complement emerging evidence that there may be clinical benefits of orally administered blue light for limiting the severity of COVID-19. Possible mechanisms of action of blue light (e.g., regulation of reactive oxygen species) and important mediators (e.g., melatonin) are discussed.

Critical junctures as complex processes: examining mechanisms of policy change and path dependence in the Canadian pandemic response to homelessness

Policy change is not an instantaneous or linear process. In fact, change includes several mechanisms working in tandem and even against one another. This article examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on homelessness policy in Canada. In a sector that is already plagued with emergency responses - rather than long-term solutions - the pandemic has initiated a critical juncture where policy change is possible, but not guaranteed. Although the existing failures to alleviate homelessness in Canada make policy failings even more obvious, aspects of the pre-existing Canadian response to homelessness negate change. The pandemic, however, has led to temporary solutions and created a setting where long-term change is possible. Using over 150 primary sources, this article analyses mechanisms of change and path dependence in the pandemic response to homelessness. The presence of such mechanisms is tested in three major Canadian cities.

Morphofunctional changes in the conducting and respiratory parts of the bronchopulmonary system in COVID-19 (analytical review)

The article reflects the analysis of the state of the problem concerning the pathogenesis of COVID-19 (CoronaVirus Disease 2019), the epidemic of which began from the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2020, from the position of the bronchopulmonary system, which is associated with the main route of penetration of the virus of this infectious disease (SARS-CoV-1) with the development of severe pneumonia, often fatal. And if the study and results of the study of this problem are to a certain extent highlighted in the literature, then they concerned mainly the respiratory regions of the respiratory tract (RT), given that mainly complications leading to death are associated with them. At the same time, studies on conducting RT are reflected in a few foreign works, although there are data suggesting their not small contribution to the pathogenesis of COVID-19. In the domestic literature, studies of this kind have not been reflected. The aim of the work is to analyze, reflect and assess the role of possible morphological and functional regional changes in the mucous membrane of the RT in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Methodologically, the analysis was carried out using a systematic approach based on the material of various databases of biomedical and biomedical scientific information, including such as Index Medicus, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and others for the period, mainly 2020. Results. An analysis of the mechanisms of influence on the morphofunctional state of the mucous membrane of the RT of coronavirus infection is given, depending on their departments, including conductive and respiratory. Methods and approaches to the study of such influence are reflected. The possible role of disturbances in the morphofunctional state and defense mechanisms of the lungs is shown, hypotheses and paradigms regarding the pathogenesis of coronavirus infection are presented. The results of the analysis indicate that there is a whole complex of morphological and functional disorders that determine the development of this pathology, its virulence. The fundamental role of the epithelium of the respiratory tract has been established and multicellular receptor tropism in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is reflected. In conclusion, it is pointed out that the essential role of epithelial cells not only of the respiratory, but also of the conductive parts of the LTP, mainly ciliates, which are involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 not only from the position of functional receptors, but also in terms of violations of the earliest leading protective mechanism - mucociliary clearance aggravating the "vicious circle of pathogenesis" of this pathology.Copyright © 2021 Infectious Diseases: News, Opinions, Training. All rights reserved.

Supply Chain Authentication for Vaccine Passport Using Blockchain

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the creation of vaccination passports as a means of verifying an individual's vaccination status for travel and access to certain services. The validity of immunization records and supply chain procedures, however, are significant issues. The supply chain for vaccination passports has been called for to be made more secure and transparent using blockchain technology. To ensure safe and effective supply chain management, this article suggests a blockchain-based authentication mechanism for vaccination passports. The issuer, the prover, and the verifier will be the system's three key actors. The issuer will be in charge of producing inventory tokens and providing immunization certificates. The prover will verify the authenticity of the vaccination supply chain, and the verifier will ensure that the inventory token is legitimate. The proposed system will enhance transparency, security, and efficiency in the supply chain for vaccination passports, thereby improving the trustworthiness of vaccination records and facilitating safe travel during the pandemic. © 2023 IEEE.